SPIRO HARRISON & NELSON - Key Persons
Alexandria D. Martinez is a litigation Associate at Spiro Harrison & Nelson LLC. Prior to joining the firm, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Stephen J. Taylor, P.J.Cr. in the New Jersey Superior Court, Morris Vicinage. Alexandria earned her J.D. from Rutgers Law school and received a B.S. in Political Communications with a minor in History from Emerson College in 2018. While attending law school, she served as a judicial intern for Judge Stephen J. Taylor, P.J.Cr. She also worked as a legal intern for the New Jersey Attorneys General Office in the Financial Crimes Unit and a legal extern for the United States Postal Service in their legal department. Additionally, Alexandria served as Co-Editor-in-Chief for the Women's Rights Law Reporter, the first legal periodical in the United States to focus exclusively on the field of women's rights law.
Education
Rutgers Law School - J.D.
Emerson College - B.S., Political Communications
Job Titles:
- Partner
- President of the Board of 180 Turning Lives Around
Brian M. Nelson principally represents public, private, and non-profit corporations in relation to redevelopment, public-private partnerships, economic development, and governmental and regulatory affairs matters throughout the State of New Jersey.
Previously, Brian was the managing partner of Archer's Red Bank office and Chair of the firm's State and Local Law Government Group. Prior to joining Archer, Brian managed his own law firm, Nelson Supko & Hanlon. Before establishing his own firm, Brian practiced at Gibbons where he focused on redevelopment, governmental and regulatory affairs matters.
Brian has represented many public entities, including but not limited to serving as Township Attorney to the Township of Middletown, the largest municipality in Monmouth County, Director of Law to the Borough of Tinton Falls, Redevelopment Counsel to the City of Hackensack, Special Redevelopment Counsel to the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, and as a Special Redevelopment Counsel to the City of Newark on multiple public-private partnership projects.
Brian currently serves as President of the Board of 180 Turning Lives Around, which provides shelter and services to victims of domestic violence, and as Vice Chair of the Riverview Medical Center Foundation Board. He previously served as a member of the Board of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and as a member of both Governor Chris Christie's and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop's transition teams.
Christa McLeod is a litigation attorney whose practice focuses on commercial litigation, including complex business disputes, employment litigation, healthcare law, and professional liability. Christa has experience representing businesses of all sizes, individuals, and public entities at all levels of the state and federal courts, as well as through various alternative dispute resolution processes.
Prior to joining Spiro Harrison & Nelson LLC, Christa was affiliated with law firms where she gained experience in insurance coverage litigation, the administration of estates, and environmental and regulatory matters. She has provided representation to clients who operate in the insurance, construction, and healthcare industries on matters including prosecuting breach of contract actions and defending against employment discrimination claims. Additionally, Christa served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable John D. O'Dwyer, Civil Division, Bergen County.
While in law school, Christa served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Esther Salas, U.S.D.J., District of New Jersey. She was a member of the C. Willard Heckel Inn of Court. She was also the Senior Notes Editor of the Rutgers Law Record and a semi-finalist in the Queens DA and ABA National Mock Trial competitions.
Christa enjoys recreational fitness and spending time with her friends and family.
Education
Rutgers Law School, J.D., cum laude
Ramapo College of New Jersey, B.A., summa cum laude
Dana is an experienced appellate attorney who focuses on appeals before the New Jersey Appellate Division and New Jersey Supreme Court. She brings significant expertise in appellate practice and procedure to the firm.
Prior to joining Spiro Harrison & Nelson LLC, Dana served as a Deputy Attorney General in the Division of Criminal Justice, Appellate Bureau, where she represented the State in criminal appeals. After prosecuting, she began her own practice, concentrating on criminal defense at the appellate level. Dana later joined the private practice of law as Of Counsel at Nelson Supko & Hanlon, focusing on appeals and government litigation.
Dana received her Juris Doctor from Seton Hall Law School. She was accepted to the Center for Social Justice where she litigated the rule of law in the federal courts involving Guantanamo Bay detainees. She was a Public Interest Law Fellowship recipient in both 2003 and 2004. Dana clerked for the Hon. Edwin H. Stern, Presiding Judge of Administration for the Appellate Division.
Education
Seton Hall University School of Law - J.D.
Public Interest Fellowship 2003, 2004
David is a business lawyer who represents clients in both litigation and corporate matters in a broad range of industries including technology, healthcare, construction, and financial services. David's versatile experience allows him to provide clients with legal and strategic advice to support their business objectives.
David is skilled in all areas of complex litigation having successfully represented both Plaintiffs and Defendants in federal and state court at the trial and appellate levels. His litigation matters have included contractual disputes, business torts, antitrust, securities litigation, intellectual property, and employment disputes representing small business owners, corporations, state agencies, state pension funds, and financial institutions, among others. David also has extensive experience consulting on matters involving false claims act litigation and the SEC and IRS whistleblower provisions. His matters have included major cases and investigations in the financial, pharmaceutical, and government contracting sectors.
As outside general counsel for emerging and middle market companies, David advises clients on a broad array of issues including entity formation, debt and equity financing, employment agreements, commercial contracts and licensing agreements, acquisitions, management of risk, and protection of intellectual property, among other things.
Prior to joining Spiro Harrison & Nelson LLC, David was a partner in a premier boutique litigation firm, and served as a judicial intern for Chief Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and a legal intern for the Office of the Bronx District Attorney.
Education
Brooklyn Law School - J.D.
Syracuse University - B.A., Political Science
Job Titles:
- Commissioner
- General Counsel
- Partner
Eric H. Jaso, a former federal prosecutor and official of the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education, draws on his extensive experience in government and private practice to provide corporations and individuals thoughtful and nuanced counsel, assertively advocating his clients' interests in their most complex and challenging matters. Having practiced on "both sides of the V" in civil and criminal cases, Eric gives his clients a uniquely well-informed perspective of "how the system works" and brings the skills to navigate that system to achieve their goals.
For over a quarter century, Eric has represented corporations and individuals in a wide variety of civil and criminal cases and matters, in areas including healthcare, employment, government contracting, government fraud, investigations, business "divorces" and other complex matters. He handles litigation at all levels, from investigative/pre-trial stages through discovery, trial, post-trial, and appeals, including to the U.S. and state Supreme Courts.
Eric's private practice experience has included some of the most prestigious law firms in the United States: Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Latham & Watkins, and Boies, Schiller & Flexner.
Eric's government experience is extensive and diverse. From 2003 to 2008, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey, working in the Securities and Health Care Fraud unit of the Criminal Division and in the Appeals Division. Prior to that, he served as counselor to Michael Chertoff, then the Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
Francesca represents clients in criminal defense, commercial litigation, employment, and healthcare cases.
Francesca worked as a paralegal and summer associate for Spiro Harrison & Nelson LLC while attending law school. She also interned for the Honorable Paul B. Matey, of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Honorable Thomas K. Isenhour, of the Superior Court of New Jersey-Union Vicinage. During law school, Francesca was awarded best brief in her Appellate Advocacy class and in the Gressman Moot Court competition. She also was the recipient of the National Italian American Bar Association's Justice Alito Scholarship.
Additionally, Francesca focused her AWR research paper on Italian American Congressman Peter Rodino and how his heritage influenced his legislation, particularly immigration reform and Columbus Day. Most of her research was from the Peter Rodino Archives at Seton Hall Law; she was the first person to utilize them.
Francesca earned her BA in history and minor in Italian from Ramapo College with magna cum laude. She received her paralegal certificate from Montclair State University and her MSJ degree in Financial Service Compliance from Seton Hall Law. While attending graduate school, Francesca worked at Trenk DiPasquale Della Fera & Sodono, P. C. as a paralegal to the Honorable Ned Rosenberg, where she assisted him in his alternate dispute resolution practice.
Jim is a native and longtime resident of Glen Ridge, and has over 45 years of experience representing clients in residential and commercial real estate transactions. His primary practice area is currently with residential clients involved in the purchase and sale of single and multi-family dwellings. Jim has previously represented several local mortgage lenders, including many years as the attorney for Montclair Savings Bank and its immediate successors. He enjoys working with first time home buyers and has represented multiple different generations of the same families during his long tenure.
Jim and his wife Kit raised three children in Glen Ridge and he has served in numerous community organizations including The Rotary Club of Glen Ridge (Past President), Glen Ridge Juvenile Conference Committee (Chairman), the Glen Ridge Zoning Board of Adjustment (Vice Chairman) and Board Member of the Montclair YMCA, The Montclair Foundation, The Glen Ridge Educational Foundation in Glen Ridge to support educational endeavors, as well as the Colgate Alumni Corporation.
Prior to joining Spiro Harrison & Nelson LLC, Jim was a partner of Ashenfelter, Trembulak, McDonough, Golia and Trevenen LLP, the successor of Harris Dickson LLP, which has represented families in Montclair and the Greater Essex County area since 1945.
Education
The Delaware Law School of Widener College, J.D., Law
Colgate University, B.A.
During law school, Joseph was an Articles Editor for the Seton Hall Law Review and a student attorney at the Center for Social Justice Civil Litigation Clinic. During his time at the Civil Litigation Clinic, Joseph assisted Newark residents with Section 8 housing habitability and family law matters. Joseph also externed for the Honorable Raymond A. Reddin (ret.) of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Civil Part, as well as the Honorable Katharine S. Hayden of the District of New Jersey.
Prior to joining Spiro Harrison & Nelson LLC, Joseph clerked for the Honorable Douglas M. Fasciale of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, where he conducted extensive research to assist appellate panels in a wide range of legal issues.
Education
Seton Hall University School of Law - J.D., cum laude
Shomik Ghosh is a Partner at Spiro Harrison & Nelson LLC, where he leads the firm's New York City office. Shomik is a highly accomplished trial lawyer and civil litigator, and practices in federal and state courts across the country on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. Shomik is often called on by Fortune500 companies, financial firms, executives, and businesses in emerging industries to address highly-sensitive, often confidential, legal matters and investigations. Shomik has represented clients in front of a number of regulatory bodies, including the DOJ, SEC, FINRA, DEA, CFTC, FTC, and numerous United States Attorney's Offices, including the SDNY and EDNY.
Through his practice, Shomik has had extensive experience in business litigation, energy/infrastructure projects, whistleblower representation, white-collar criminal defense, regulatory investigations, appeals, and antitrust litigation.
Shomik is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, where he graduated among the top five students in his class and with magna cum laude and Order of the Coif honors. Prior to joining Spiro Harrison & Nelson, Shomik practiced at a number of leading law firms in New York, including Selendy Gay Elsberg PLLC and Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello. Shomik began his career in the Antitrust & Competition group of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, also in New York.
Svjetlana Tesic is a litigation attorney experienced in representing corporate and insurance clients in a variety of personal and commercial litigation matters, including breaches of contract, products liability, tort and catastrophic loss, and construction defect and design. Svjetlana represents clients in both state and federal court, handling matters throughout all stages of litigation and dispute resolution.
Prior to transitioning to civil practice and joining Spiro Harrison & Nelson LLC, Svjetlana served as an Assistant Prosecutor for four and a half years, where she regularly appeared before the New Jersey Superior Court and argued before the New Jersey Appellate Division. She was a member of the Special Victims Unit and prosecuted a variety of indictable crimes, ranging from weapons offenses to first degree sexual assaults. Svjetlana has extensive experience in motion practice, oral argument, appeals, resolution negotiations, and case investigations.
After graduating law school, Svjetlana clerked for the Honorable Rudolph A. Filko, A.J.S.C. in Passaic County. Svjetlana also serves as an Interscholastic Moot Court Board Coach, guiding teams of Seton Hall University School of Law students through regional competitions.
Education
Seton Hall University School of Law - J.D.